GROUND COVER NO-TILL
4
AN EVOLVING SYSTEM
Adopting no-till: the five keys
Improvements to the sowing system should result
in better crop establishment, improved nutrient-
use efficiency, increased herbicide-use options and
improved herbicide efficacy.
The use of press wheels, seed row placement or
banding of fertiliser (rather than broadcasting) and use
of the low-cost herbicide trifluralin at higher rates are
good examples of what can be used to reduce risk in a
no-till system.
No-till has allowed farmers to intensify cropping
on their farms because fallowing is not involved. Crop
and variety choices need to take into account any
threats from disease and weeds.
Rotational plans do not necessarily have to change
under no-till, although those new to sowing canola by
no-till should seek advice from the more experienced.
Sowing pulse crops and canola into stubble has
greatly reduced the risk of erosion, particularly in
lower-rainfall areas.
Generally, seeding rates are higher in no-till as
growers seek to suppress weed germination and growth
through greater crop competition.
The compatibility between livestock and no-till is
subject to debate. Certainly, heavy grazing post-harvest
means less cover and more land prone to erosion as
well as the burial of weed seeds. Yet many no-till
farmers are successfully grazing livestock in a no-till
system. In drier years, no-till has enabled stock to be
left in paddocks for much longer with safety against
soil erosion, because of the stubble.
Using controlled traffic and precision agriculture
systems such as auto-steer on a farm can capitalise on
improved paddock traffic and avoid the problems for
crop growth caused by soil compaction.
In planning to start a no-till farming system, five
key areas need to be addressed:
1. accurate seeding depth;
2. optimum seed bed tilth;
3. adequate balanced nutrition;
4. effective weed, disease and pest management; and
5. adequate stubble handling capacity.
Planning and preparation
Farmers contemplating the change from multiple
tillage or minimum tillage should plan for it to occur
initially on part of their property, for example in
paddocks to be cropped to one class of cereal or pulse.
It is easier to no-till in a crop-on-crop situation, rather
than start with a paddock coming out of pasture.
Do not rush in: do your homework and study what
is working locally. When the decision to change to
no-till is made, preparation begins at harvest when
stubble is cut short and left anchored and the remainder
is well spread. Paddocks with high weed populations
should not be used for no-till, and fence lines and tree
lines need to be kept free of weeds to prevent paddock
reinfestation.
The no-till system will continue to evolve and
change as scientists and farmers strive to develop a
more sustainable approach to conservation farming.
New approaches to no-till farming, maintaining
permanent soil cover with the use of cover crops and
advanced technologies such as precision agriculture
and disc seeding systems are likely. Through research
and innovation of no-till technologies, such as those
detailed in this publication, the Australian grains
industry will continue to be at the forefront of the
global effort to develop a sustainable approach to no-
till farming.
This article has been adapted from The Essential Guide to No-Till Farming
published by SANTFA. Copies of this CAAANZ publication are available
online at www.santfa.com.au.
Those embracing no-till list the
following advantages of the
system:
n increases in farm efficiency levels
n lower costs
n reduced wind and water erosion
n more timely crop sowing operations
n enhances increased cropping intensity
n improvements in soil structure and water harvesting
n more even weed germination resulting from reduced
weed seed burial
n better quality of life
Conversely, those planning to
embark on no-till should:
n expect that weed, pest and crop disease spectrums
could change
n be prepared for a greater reliance on knockdown
herbicides in the cropping system
"At this stage (September 2003) we are not getting better
yields with no-till and stubble retention but our costs are lower
and our country isn't blowing away. Soil structure and organic
matter levels are improving all the time, too."
-- WIRRULLA FARMER SHAUN FREEMAN